Give to God What Belongs to God: Mary’s Perfect Example of Surrender
Reflection on Matthew 22:15–21
In the Gospel, Jesus responds to the Pharisees who were attempting to trap Him with a question about paying taxes to Caesar. Pointing to the image stamped upon a coin, He declares: “Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar — and to God what belongs to God” (Matthew 22:21).
These words carry a profound spiritual truth. The coin bore Caesar’s image, but every human being bears the image and likeness of God. If the coin belongs to Caesar because it carries his image, how much more do we belong to God, whose image is imprinted upon our very being? Our lives, our hearts, our families, our talents, and everything we are ultimately belong to Him.
And perhaps no human being demonstrates what it means to give God what belongs to God more beautifully than the Blessed Virgin Mary.
At the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel revealed God’s plan, Mary responded: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). In that moment, Mary gave God not merely a portion of her time, her possessions, or her attention. She gave Him her entire self. Her yes was an offering of her body, her heart, her future, and her very life. She held nothing back from God’s loving will.
Mary’s life became a living expression of the very words Jesus would later speak about giving to God what belongs to God. She recognised that everything she was came from Him, and she freely returned everything to Him in love.
Yet Mary’s surrender was not confined to that one extraordinary moment at Nazareth. Her yes continued throughout her life. She gave herself to God when she carried Jesus in her womb, when she welcomed Him into the world in the poverty of Bethlehem, when she fled with Joseph into Egypt, and when she raised Jesus in the ordinary circumstances of family life. Even when she did not fully understand God’s unfolding plan, she continued to trust, pondering His mysteries in her heart.
And perhaps the most painful expression of Mary’s surrender came at Calvary. Standing beneath the Cross, she watched her beloved Son suffer and die. The Child she had received as God’s greatest gift, she now entrusted completely to the Father’s saving plan. Her heart was pierced with sorrow, yet her faithfulness endured. Mary’s offering of herself to God was not simply a beautiful promise made in a moment of grace. It was a lifelong surrender, tested and purified through love, sacrifice, and suffering.
This is what makes Mary such a powerful model for us today. We often find it easy to give God a little of our time, a prayer when we need something, or an hour at Mass on Sunday. Yet we sometimes struggle to surrender our plans, our fears, our relationships, our ambitions, and those parts of our lives over which we want complete control.
Mary reminds us that God does not simply desire what we can give Him. He desires our hearts. He wants us to trust Him with our lives, just as Mary did.
And importantly, Mary’s total surrender to God did not diminish her humanity or her responsibilities. Rather, it made her an even more loving mother, a more faithful servant, and a more compassionate presence in the lives of others. Her devotion to God shaped everything she did.
In our world, where so much attention is given to wealth, success, status, and earthly obligations, Mary gently reminds us of what matters most. We may owe certain things to the world, but our deepest identity, our ultimate allegiance, and our eternal destiny belong to God.
At Cana, Mary gave us the key to living this truth when she said: “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). Those words are her invitation to us today. If we truly want to give God what belongs to Him, we must begin by listening to Jesus and allowing His will to shape our lives.
As we reflect on this Gospel, may we ask ourselves: Am I giving God only what is convenient, or am I willing, like Mary, to give Him my whole heart? Have I allowed the demands of the world to claim what rightfully belongs to God?
Caesar’s image was stamped upon a coin. God’s image is stamped upon our souls. Mary recognised whose she was, and her entire life became her response. May ours become the same.
Let Us Pray
Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus and our loving Mother, you who gave yourself completely to God without reservation, teach us the beauty of surrendering our lives to His holy will. When worldly concerns distract us, remind us to whom we truly belong. When fear makes us hesitant, help us to trust as you trusted. When suffering tests our faith, obtain for us the grace to remain faithful as you remained faithful beneath the Cross.
Mother Mary, help us to give God not merely the leftovers of our lives, but our hearts, our hopes, our families, and our entire being. Lead us always to your Son, Jesus Christ, so that through Him, our lives may become a loving offering to the Father. Amen.
Mary, Virgin Most Faithful, pray for us.
Fully Catholic — Sharing the Joy of the FaithGive to God What Belongs to God: Mary’s Perfect Example of Surrender
Reflection on Matthew 22:15–21
In the Gospel, Jesus responds to the Pharisees who were attempting to trap Him with a question about paying taxes to Caesar. Pointing to the image stamped upon a coin, He declares: “Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar — and to God what belongs to God” (Matthew 22:21).
These words carry a profound spiritual truth. The coin bore Caesar’s image, but every human being bears the image and likeness of God. If the coin belongs to Caesar because it carries his image, how much more do we belong to God, whose image is imprinted upon our very being? Our lives, our hearts, our families, our talents, and everything we are ultimately belong to Him.
And perhaps no human being demonstrates what it means to give God what belongs to God more beautifully than the Blessed Virgin Mary.
At the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel revealed God’s plan, Mary responded: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). In that moment, Mary gave God not merely a portion of her time, her possessions, or her attention. She gave Him her entire self. Her yes was an offering of her body, her heart, her future, and her very life. She held nothing back from God’s loving will.
Mary’s life became a living expression of the very words Jesus would later speak about giving to God what belongs to God. She recognised that everything she was came from Him, and she freely returned everything to Him in love.
Yet Mary’s surrender was not confined to that one extraordinary moment at Nazareth. Her yes continued throughout her life. She gave herself to God when she carried Jesus in her womb, when she welcomed Him into the world in the poverty of Bethlehem, when she fled with Joseph into Egypt, and when she raised Jesus in the ordinary circumstances of family life. Even when she did not fully understand God’s unfolding plan, she continued to trust, pondering His mysteries in her heart.
And perhaps the most painful expression of Mary’s surrender came at Calvary. Standing beneath the Cross, she watched her beloved Son suffer and die. The Child she had received as God’s greatest gift, she now entrusted completely to the Father’s saving plan. Her heart was pierced with sorrow, yet her faithfulness endured. Mary’s offering of herself to God was not simply a beautiful promise made in a moment of grace. It was a lifelong surrender, tested and purified through love, sacrifice, and suffering.
This is what makes Mary such a powerful model for us today. We often find it easy to give God a little of our time, a prayer when we need something, or an hour at Mass on Sunday. Yet we sometimes struggle to surrender our plans, our fears, our relationships, our ambitions, and those parts of our lives over which we want complete control.
Mary reminds us that God does not simply desire what we can give Him. He desires our hearts. He wants us to trust Him with our lives, just as Mary did.
And importantly, Mary’s total surrender to God did not diminish her humanity or her responsibilities. Rather, it made her an even more loving mother, a more faithful servant, and a more compassionate presence in the lives of others. Her devotion to God shaped everything she did.
In our world, where so much attention is given to wealth, success, status, and earthly obligations, Mary gently reminds us of what matters most. We may owe certain things to the world, but our deepest identity, our ultimate allegiance, and our eternal destiny belong to God.
At Cana, Mary gave us the key to living this truth when she said: “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). Those words are her invitation to us today. If we truly want to give God what belongs to Him, we must begin by listening to Jesus and allowing His will to shape our lives.
As we reflect on this Gospel, may we ask ourselves: Am I giving God only what is convenient, or am I willing, like Mary, to give Him my whole heart? Have I allowed the demands of the world to claim what rightfully belongs to God?
Caesar’s image was stamped upon a coin. God’s image is stamped upon our souls. Mary recognised whose she was, and her entire life became her response. May ours become the same.
Let Us Pray
Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus and our loving Mother, you who gave yourself completely to God without reservation, teach us the beauty of surrendering our lives to His holy will. When worldly concerns distract us, remind us to whom we truly belong. When fear makes us hesitant, help us to trust as you trusted. When suffering tests our faith, obtain for us the grace to remain faithful as you remained faithful beneath the Cross.
Mother Mary, help us to give God not merely the leftovers of our lives, but our hearts, our hopes, our families, and our entire being. Lead us always to your Son, Jesus Christ, so that through Him, our lives may become a loving offering to the Father. Amen.
Mary, Virgin Most Faithful, pray for us.
